School Calendar 2016-17 Update

Last December we asked for input from parents and guardians regarding vacation preferences for Christmas 2016.  Thank you to everyone who completed our survey and the schools, councils and individuals who helped to share this survey with others.  We received over 6700 responses!  WOW!! As you can see below, there was an overwhelming preference for Option 2: vacation from Saturday, December 24 to Sunday, January 8.

In January, we provided these results to the OCSB Calendar Committee which collected feedback from all OCSB stakeholder groups.  There was also consultation with our co-terminus board, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, with whom we share school bus transportation. Last Tuesday, the Board of Trustees approved the proposed OCSB school calendar for 2016-17.  This proposed calendar features a later Christmas break, as preferred by parents/guardians and has the OCSB elementary and secondary PA days all occurring on the same days.  The calendar dates cannot be considered final until they have been approved by the Ministry of Education.  A response from the MOE is expected in the spring. Learn more about the specific calendar dates at http://www.ocsb.ca/calendar Again, thank you to everyone for your interest and participation. CSPA Communications

All Saints Blog Week of February 29th, 2016

Dominican Experience arrives in the DR

Our Dominican group students and staff arrived at their destination this weekend and will be working at supporting those in the community.  The group attended mass in Spanish this weekend and met their family hosts.  They will be involved in several activities this week as they get to know the local residents.  If you are wondering, the weather indicates sunny with a high of 28 degrees in the Dominican . . . all week!

All Saints Boys Basketball team wins City Championship

Congratulations to our Boys Basketball team for clinching the City finals against AY Jackson this past week.  The boys won against Bell high school earlier in the week for a spot in the final.  Special congratulations and thanks to Mr. Podgorski for coaching the boys this season.  Thank you to all the parents who came out to cheer on the boys at both games.

School Council Funding supports School Groups

At the All Saints School Council meeting this past week over $3000 from fundraising efforts was approved to support school programs.  The council supported initiatives by the All Saints Robotics group, our Outdoor Education course, our grade 8 “Investigate, Invent and Innovate” initiative, school greening ideas and student mentorship activities.  All Saints students and staff continue to appreciate the support of our active School Council.  A special thank you to the fundraising sub-committee and our council Treasurer, Ms. Rink.

Upcoming Grade 10 Literacy Test

To all parents of Grade 10 students - the Ontario Secondary Schools Literacy Test (OSSLT) will be taking place this year on March 31, 2016. This week’s literacy information focuses on reading strategies for graphic texts:

What is a graphic text?

• A graphic text uses words AND pictures to communicate information.

What are some examples of graphic texts?

• Posters, pamphlets, comic books, diagrams, instruction manuals, maps

Before reading:

• Look at the whole graphic text. Locate the title, headings, captions, legends and pictures.
• The title tells you what the graphic is about.
• Headings organize the information into sub-topics.
• Captions provide extra information.
• Legends help you to understand how to read the graphic text.

During reading:

• Read all the headings and examine how they are related to the graphic. Each heading has a purpose. The most important headings may be in capital letters, bold type, or a larger font.
• Follow the arrows and lines. They may be used to show movement or direction, or connect to the things they name.
• Look for the use of symbols to emphasize important words and information.

• Understanding EQAO Assessments

Every year, Ontario students in Grades 3, 6, 9 and 10 write province-wide tests to assess their reading, writing and math skills.

This presentation will provide parents an opportunity to gain an understanding of the EQAO assessments.

Register Now:  http://bit.ly/CSPAEQAO

Tuesday, March 1, 2016; 6:45 - 8:45 PM

Saint Joseph Catholic High School; 3333 Greenbank Road, Barrhaven

Communications

Check out our blog – allsaintschs.blogspot.ca and our twitter @AllSaintsCHS as well as our website ash.ocsb.ca for all that is happening at All Saints!